Never Lost
by GroovyExcel
Summary: Tormented throughout his childhood be a sadistic Warlord, Riku thought that when he escaped that he would finally be able to live a quiet anonymous life. Will Riku be able to fight his demons? Can he fight the darkness in his heart? What do his new friends have to do with the past? AU. Sora/Riku Bromance, SoKai Romance, My First KH fanfic. Rated for language and adult themes
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello all. Welcome to my new story, Never Lost, A Kingdom Hearts FanFic. This is my first Kingdom Hearts fic, though honestly this fic has lived in my heart for years. I have finally taken the leap and decided to share it. This will be a long story, and I apologize as updates won't be on any set schedule. But I will be updating and finishing this story, however irregular. There will be adult themes, that may trigger some, so I will be posting warnings for those chapters. I apologize in advance if I upset anyone. Otherwise, please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not know own Kingdom Hearts in any form or fashion. I am not profiting from this story in any way. Thank you.**

Prologue

The sky screamed as the storm threatened to split it in half. Rain poured hard, attempting to wash the land clean of the dried blood that was now its constant cover. The winds howled, and took the stench of the corpses for a ride. There were no trees. There was no grass. Flowers would not grow on this land that was now an ever-present red. And even a storm this strong could not wipe out the signs of war.

Radiant Garden was once a beautiful country ruled by a solitary king. He shared his power with appointed governors, and together they ensured that the citizens of Radiant Garden lived in peace and happiness. The kingdom thrived with the light in the hearts of all who lived there. But one day, an evil man who called himself Ansem Seeker of Darkness ended the peace and beauty Radiant Garden was known for. He came with a force of a great army. His men were called The Heartless. He took over the country, divided it among his men. He imprisoned the king, and the governors and began his onslaught of terror. He mercilessly destroyed innocent people and threw their bodies across the land as a reminder to anyone that tried to cross him. He was a monster. And one that seemed unable to die. The daughters of nobility were taken to be his personal playthings which he would later dispose of when they broke. No one seemed able to stop him. And then people stopped trying. He christened the land with blood. Radiant Garden drowned in death, and was redubbed Hollow Bastion.

As the legends say, that in a small province called Twilight Town, two babies were found abandoned in an old abandoned mansion. One was a beautiful baby girl. She was fair skinned, like porcelain. Her hair as bright as the day, her eyes as blue as the ocean. The other, an enchanting baby boy. His skin was the color of sand. His eyes as blue as the sky; his hair like the sun. The baby girl was named Namine and the baby boy was named Roxas. As they grew, they seemed to know things that shouldn't have known. Namine drew accurate portraits of Ansem and the former rulers though she'd never seen them. Roxas was skilled with swords though he'd never been taught. Namine had divine sight, and she had _seen_ that she and Roxas would somehow slay The Seeker of Darkness. These children were to be the saviors of Radiant Garden.

And it was several years later on that wild stormy night that Namine and Roxas had come to the fortress of Warlord Ansem Seeker of Darkness. They traveled through the death covered land that was once the beautiful Radiant Garden. Unfortunately, they were not strong enough, and found themselves in the evil ruler's clutches. The boy seemed badly beaten. His young body covered with bruises and colored with his own blood. The girl was not as severely hurt physically but their sadistic captor made her watch as Roxas was tortured.

"Please! No more! His body can't take anymore! Can't you see he's unconscious?" Namine pleaded with the blighted warlord as he struck another blow to Roxas's limp form. Ansem looked over to Namine. He was not an ugly man, but his twisted and warped mind brought an ugliness to his features. His skin seemed much too pale for a living man, yet it shone with his evil. His veins were quite visible in his neck and his eyes were always happily angry. His too long white hair only added to his fearsome appearance, but his smile was entrancing. He set his angry eyes on Namine. She was being restrained by his large Guardian who was instructed to hold her as tightly as his strength would allow. Had he held her any tighter, Namine's slender body would have been snapped in half. Other Heartless had gathered to watch the show.

"Is he now?" He said, his voice dripping with rehearsed refinement with a slight mocking edge. He threw the young boy's unmoving body in her direction.

"YOU VILE MONSTER!" She screamed, and strained against the vice grip around her. Ansem and his guards laughed at her. The Guardian loosened his grip on her and she took the momentary relief to attempt to break his grasp. Ansem noticed and struck her across the face with the sheath of his sword. Her head jerked hard to the side. Blood began to trickle from her mouth, but she made no sound; there were no tears in her already water filled eyes. She turned back to look at him. If looks could kill, she'd watch him die.

"A monster… Thank you. I try my best. But at least my efforts are met with results. Prophets claimed you and this boy would be my downfall. But you hardly even presented a challenge," he lifted his hand in attempt to lightly caress her face. He decided against it and struck her once more on the opposite side. Namine was strong despite what she appeared and received every single hit with silence, "I have already won, you see. The country is mine and its people do as I say. But you and this boy have given them hope. They believe I can be defeated. Tsk tsk tsk. I can't have that," he pondered for a moment. He lifted Namine's chin to force her to look at him, "You are a lovely girl. It would be such a waste to kill you. I will spare your life, if you…" He trailed off suggestively. His hand began to move downward to touch her body. But he was cut short. Ansem yelled as a dagger was plunged into his left calf.

"Don't… don't you dare… touch her…" Roxas had awakened; his breathing was labored because of his numerous injuries. Ansem merely kicked him away. Roxas yelped with pain.

"NO!" Namine cried, "I'd rather die than be your whore!" She spat at him. As smiled wickedly.

"That can be arranged," he then spoke to the room, "Release her. Then leave. I have matters to attend to. I will have my way with you, while the boy watches." With that, the guards thrust Namine toward the warlord and left. Ansem threw Namine to the ground and kicked her. She accepted in silence, "Do you not feel pain girl? Or do you always endure in silence? Grant me one small favor and let me hear your pain. Scream for me." He smiled as he went to kick her once more. However, he never made impact. He had forgotten that Roxas was conscious. Roxas had somehow found the strength to attack Ansem. Nevertheless, Roxas's body was weak from blood loss and the fight couldn't last very long. Roxas slashed at the warlord's arm with his dagger and then proceeded to plunge it into his shoulder. Roxas did not stop at that. He used anything in the chamber he could find as a weapon. Ansem was growling furiously. But when Roxas ran out of options, the warlord grabbed him by the throat.

"You're not dead yet? I WILL make sure to kill you this time!"

"LEAVE HIM!" Namine sprang from the ground and grabbed at his hair. She pulled him down to the ground and began to kick him as hard as her body would permit and as fast as her power would allow. Roxas struggled to get up, and with the warlord's own sword, struck him through the chest. He did not bleed. Roxas turned to Namine. She looked at him, and though no words were exchanged, they knew what the other wanted. They fled. They needed to hide… to be somewhere safe. But nowhere was safe anymore. They knew they were doomed. Roxas had very little strength left, but it seemed as if some unforeseen force was guiding his very languid body. They found an abandoned part of the fortress and hid in some kind of storage space.

Namine laid Roxas down and attempted to stop some of his bleeding.

"Leave it," he whispered, "It's too late now." Namine shook her head as she held back tears. They were quiet for a while. She began to quietly sob, "What? Crying? You? The world really is ending." He chuckled lightly.

"How can you laugh now? It's over, Roxas. Ansem Seeker of Darkness cannot die. He will be all the more furious when he finds us. We will die. You're…" she choked on her sobs as she could not finish her sentence.

"Sorry. I'm sorry is what I am. He wasn't supposed to hurt you. I wasn't able to protect you. It seems pitiful that you had to fight for me."

"You didn't fight for me. You fought with me." She smiled.

"There it is…" he was whispering lower now as his body was running out of energy, "Smiling suits you better than sobbing." He winced.

"Please stop speaking. Save your energy. I can't bear to…" she took his hand in both of hers and then up to her face, "You can't… not now. Not like this." He sat up and took Namine into his arms.

"Then how? I know this isn't how you Saw it... But at least we tried. Your Sight's never been wrong before, but... I just don't know how we're going to get out of this." Namine listened to Roxas's breathing, expecting it to slow down soon. Roxas was right. Though she'd never Seen incorrectly before, something was off this time. The time it mattered the most, she'd led them down the wrong path. And because of that, she thought, Roxas is dying. The Sight that mattered most was the time she'd Seen wrong. She couldn't bear to watch him lie down and die. Roxas always tried to challenge her, mostly to annoy her. This time, he followed her blindly. _And look where it's gotten us, s_he thought.

Roxas knew that Namine was very hurt, but she was always stubborn. She was always to the one to See... but never wanted to be seen. She never voiced her feelings and always put seemed to take care of anyone else's emotions but her own. But he watched her now. All her careful walls torn down. Her face badly bruised on both sides… still bleeding. And she never flinched once. She had almost carried him to their hiding spot. He was much more than she could carry but she always found the strength when it came to him. Most men would cringe at the thought of having a woman protect them. Roxas didn't mind. They were quite the trouble-makers. Even though she'd Seen what trouble lay ahead, he never listened. She'd tell him not to go, he would go. She would follow. She'd tell him to go, he would stay. If anything, just to get a rise out of her. She would stay or go with him either way though. To make sure he made it out in one piece.

But they knew it would soon be over. They were both in trouble, each one as deep as the other.

"How long has it been?" Namine asked, breaking the long silence. Roxas didn't answer. She looked at him. His eyes were closed, but his breathing was still normal. She began to shake him as if he were sleeping.

"No…" he whispered, taking hold of her hands.

"Oh… I'm sorry. I panicked… you didn't answer and…"

"Shhh… I hear something." They listened. There were footsteps very near to their hiding place. It was coming soon. Death was coming soon. Namine looked to Roxas and there was uncharacteristic fear in her eyes. She began to whisper frantically.

"I can't See. Roxas, I can't See anything. I don't See anything... It must be because I'm scared. If I just calm down and..." Roxas was shaking his head.

"It won't work. You can't See because there's nothing to See for us anymore."

"I will not just sit here and wait for death, Roxas. We have to fight them."

"With what? I don't have the strength to wield my blades. And even if I did, I can't get them now."

"You can't just give up. Please, Roxas. I'm not ready to go..." she buried her had into his chest. He kissed the top of her head, and thought for a bit.

"I have an idea. You may not like it… but it's our only chance. We won't win… but we may be able to get away and heal. So maybe you try and listen to me for once?" he teased.

She smiled and slightly pushed him with mock anger. He told her his scheme and he was right; she didn't like it at all. But if anything, it would buy them time to think of something better. She would have to act as a distraction.

"Roxas, I… I… this plan… will I have to let him…"

"Absolutely not! But distract him enough that it lulls him into a false sense of security. By then, I'll have…disposed of most of the guards, so when you knock him out again… we'll be able to escape."

She moved away from him and stood up. "Are you sure?"

"Not at all," he smiled, "But it's all I've got."

"Then I'll take it." They moved out of there hiding place and quietly made it through the castle halls. Namine would have to find Ansem Seeker of Darkness and make him believe that she has accepted his offer. Roxas shuddered. The thought of the vile man's hands on his Namine's body was sickening. Namine was too pure to be touched by Ansem. By anyone. Except for maybe himself. He knew he had been in love with her for a long time. But he never said anything. He liked the way things were between them. Everything was effortless… like breathing. He loved her more than words could say… He figured if he never said anything aloud, she'd never See it. He wasn't quite sure how her Sight worked, so he made up the rules as he went. _She'll never know now_, he thought.

"Remember the plan. I'll be in there before anything happens."

"Promise?" she whispered.

"Yes. I promise." Namine nodded and went ahead. Roxas stayed a bit behind, so as not to give them away. After a minute or two, he crept to the door and heard them talking.

"You are a formidable fighter. No one has ever harmed me before. I applaud you." He recognized Ansem's voice.

"Why thank you. And that is why I returned. I would love to fight for you. I would love to be your ultimate weapon. No one would suspect it. Think of the possibilities." Namine said. She was clearly a good actress. Apparently, some of Roxas's influence had done her well. Roxas clenched his fists as her heard the warlord's iron- clad footsteps, he was sure, move towards Namine.

"Yes. The possibilities are endless," Ansem said venomously smooth. Roxas was nearly apoplectic. "But as I said before, you are lovely. Fighting for me would not be your only use."

"I'm sure. I will do always as you please. Whatever you want."

"That's what I like to hear." The warlord's back was to the entrance of the chamber. Roxas could not contain himself. He made his way inside and cleared his throat. The warlord turned around and his face went purple with fury, "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!" Roxas shrugged. Ansem turned back to Namine who was ready with a shield.

"Oops… I lied." She struck him hard in the head with the shield. Ansem Seeker of Darkness fell over, out cold. She knocked him over a few times for good measure. Namine leapt over his body, ran over to Roxas, grabbed his hand and kept running. They ran as hard as they could. But it wasn't before long that they heard someone running behind them.

"I WILL HAVE YOUR HEARTS! SUBMIT!" Ansem roared. They made it out of the fortress and into the raging storm. The rain pelted hard on their already aching bodies, but they did not slow down.

"Where will we go?" Namine shouted over the thunder and wind.

"No idea. Just keep running. We have to keep running." He shouted back.

"I thought you said it was over…"

"So did you. But I don't want to die now. Not now. Not like this." She smiled as he mirrored her words. They kept running. But the warlord was no longer behind them.

"Roxas, where…" She wasn't able to finish her sentence. She was suddenly impaled through the abdomen with a sword. Roxas stopped. His eyes filled with dread, fear, anger and pain. Namine fell to the ground, and her blood began to slowly spread out from underneath her.

"Namine," Roxas fell to knees beside her, "No… no no no… Please no! Say something to me!" He turned her around and held her in his arms, now drenched with the rain and her blood which the rain did not wash away, "Namine! Please speak to me! Namine!" his tears began to splash on her face, but were indistinguishable in the deluge.

"Your turn," said a menacingly familiar voice. Roxas looked up to see Ansem Seeker of Darkness standing right over them. Before Roxas could speak, the warlord removed the sword from Namine's body and ran it through Roxas. He removed his weapon and left them there. Roxas fell, with his arms still wrapped around her. Roxas had not been as thoroughly impaled as Namine. He was still breathing and in very much agony. But he could not feel the pain.

"Namine," he whispered weakly, "Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead." He continued his chant. The torrential rain did not wash their blood away and the pool beneath them was steadily growing. Roxas was becoming weaker and weaker, and Namine had not spoken to him, "Please Namine, don't be dead. You can't be dead. Not yet." He held as close as his weakened body would allow. He felt her hands tighten slightly against him. He looked at her. Her eyes were glazed over, but she was looking at him and she was smiling.

"Roxas," her voice was barely a whisper and the storm made it almost impossible to hear her. There were streams of tears flooding her dead looking eyes.

"Oh God, Namine. Please forgive me. This was all my fault, I…"

"I love you, Roxas." She breathed. He stared at her, his eyes wide, "I love you. I always have."

"I love you too, Namine. More than my words could ever tell you…" he could feel his body becoming weaker. He wanted to say so much to her. But he was dying too. Namine was still looking at him. Her dying eyes were becoming darker.

"I always will love you," she sighed, "I... can See something..."

"What do you See?" He sobbed.

"I See you. Your heart, Roxas... I can See it. It's so strong... Will you... will you come find me?" her voice trailed. He tried to speak back to her, but the effort was great. It wouldn't be long now.

"My heart will always find you."

_Roxas... We will meet again... I may not know it's you, and you may not know it's me. But we will meet again. Someday soon. I promise... _Her final promise was carried by the wind.


	2. Ghosts

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the prologue. The actual story begins many, many years after the end of the prologue. ****This chapter comes with a warning for mentions of abuse**** Disclaimer still applies. Enjoy the chapter. **

Chapter One- Ghosts

_He sat bloody and battered in his plain cell-like room. His only scenery was the unpainted gray stones that made up Kingdom Hearts' walls. He did not have a proper bed. He slept on a pile of thick sheets on a dirty floor. He had no window so he lived in a constant state of darkness. He sat bloody and battered in his only place of peace, his sanctuary. The darkness did not oppress him. It provided him a safe place to think, to feel, to plan. Sadly, it was only when his body had been taken to extreme limits that he was sent to his hole in the wall. _

_ "Bring me the boy." The cold words bounced around the boy's dark haven and chilled him. _No_,__ he thought. _Please let me be_.__ But he did not move. He continued to sit and stare into the darkness that he had grown to depend upon so much. When the_ _heavy iron door was pushed open, he did not flinch against the light. He made no move to acknowledge the intruder of his peace. He did not look up. He did not make any sounds._

_ "The Warlord calls for you." The masked guard said. The boy looked up at him. He saw his reflection in the guard's armor. The swelling in his face gone down and most of the bleeding had stopped, but he still looked badly injured. He felt it too. He still had a boyish roundness in his face which meant he was still a child. He had no clue how old he was… no one ever saw fit to tell him. Many of the Warlord's female playthings, the_ _ones he kept, often called him "adorable." He wasn't exactly sure what that meant. The boy stood slowly, fighting the pain that flushed his small body. He nodded once and followed the guard. The familiar sense of dread and fear entered him as he left peace and solace behind in his cell. _

_ He had to walk quickly against his body's sharp protest to keep up with the unsympathetic guard. None of the guards liked him. The Warlord claimed to like him… but if the way he was treated meant his was liked… he could only imagine what would happen to him if he was hated. They made it to the Warlord's chamber. It was the grandest room in all of Kingdom Hearts. The guard pushed the boy inside announcing his arrival._

_ "Sire, I have brought the boy as you have requested," the guard said, his voice muffled from behind the mask. The boy looked down, not wanting to meet the Warlord's dead snake-like gaze. _

_ "Good. Leave now." The guard bowed and walked backwards out of the room, closing the heavy door. The boy continued looking down, begging his body to not shake or shiver due the Warlord's proximity. The Warlord came closer to the boy. "Look at me," he commanded, his cold voice slicing through the poor boy's resolve. The boy looked up, his young face set in a front of indifference and bravery. No matter what this madman did, he would not break. "You should be healed by now. Why do you not heal yourself?" The evil man's voice was calm, conversational and laced with venom. _

_ "I did not want to." The boy said; his soft child's voice was sharp and hateful. The Warlord laughed. _

_ "You amuse me, my child. I have had the most powerful sorcerers train you and refine your skill. A healing spell should be second nature to you. Heal yourself." _

_ "No. I do not wish to," The boy said looking straight at the Warlord. His bright little eyes were narrowed in anger. The Warlord wrapped his sickly pale fingers around the boy's tiny arm. His eyes flashed red._

_ "You will do what I tell you," he said pleasantly._

_ "I will not." _

_ "Did you forget how you got these injuries?" The Warlord raged. "I will give you more if you do not do as I say. I want you to heal yourself!" The boy stood strong._

_ "I will not." The Warlord made a lunge at the boy but the boy was quick and side stepped the attack. He ran to the far side of the chamber and grabbed one of the Warlord's swords. "I will never do as you say! Never! Never!" He charged the madman with the sword and impaled it through his leg. The Warlord smiled at the child's attack… seemingly proud. The boy ran from the chamber as fast as he could. No one in Kingdom Hearts thought this odd. This was a regular occurrence. The Warlord would surely catch and punish him thoroughly for acting out. The boy ran and ran through the fortress. _

_ He knew he would get caught. There was no safe place for him in Kingdom Hearts, but if he could delay the punishments for just a little longer… if he could be free from new pain and abuse, he would run to the ends of the earth… and then try and find ways to keep going. No one there would help him. No one there would comfort him. They were either too afraid of the Warlord themselves, or actually enjoyed seeing the poor child be tortured._

_ He knew Ansem was letting him escape. The Warlord loved the thrill of the fight. Sometimes the boy thought it would be safer to just submit, but he could never be the puppet the Warlord wanted him to be. Ansem wanted a weapon and successor to his reign of evil and terror. The boy would be none of those things. So, he would run and fight until he either got away, or Ansem finally killed him._

_ He came to an old empty storage area in a seldom traveled part of the castle. He hid in a dark room, much like his cell and reveled in it. _I feel safe here. I can be safe here,_ he thought. He could easily protect himself. He was a sorcerer, better than the Warlord's elite…_

_ The idea came so strongly that the boy couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before. Yes, he would do what the Warlord said… sometimes. But he'd receive the training and become the best sorcerer in all of Radiant Garden. Then, he would crush Ansem and rid the world of him. He cast a spell of protection on his dark hiding place and began to heal himself physically. Ansem had already muddied the child's heart and no spell could heal that. The boy had never known love or tenderness. But he didn't care. He couldn't care about what he didn't know. _

_ It would be a while before he was found, now that he was shielding himself. Here in the dark, in the safe and peaceful dark, he could plan… one day, his life would be his._

_ Hours later, the boy was found and badly tortured for disobeying the Warlord. _

_ "This is the only way you will learn. You will submit to me. You will do my bidding. The world will be yours. Isn't that what you want?" Ansem's voice hurt more than any beating the boy would receive. When that vile excuse for a human being spoke, the boy felt as if he were trying to swim through fire. The boy spat the blood in his mouth out. He was tied up; his arms were extending outward as well as his legs. He was being stretched as they beat him. His small body was bloody and he knew some bones were broken and he couldn't help but cry in pain._

_ "I hate you," He whispered._

_ "That seriously hurts me," the Warlord said, not sounding hurt at all. "You're going to inherit all the power in the world from me. I want to be sure that you are fit to wield it," he attempted to caress the boy's face, but the boy moved away._

"_Don't touch me!" _

"_And yet you spurn my hand?" he tsked and struck the boy across the face. "Be lucky you have not truly angered me, Boy. You will be begging for death only to have me bring to meet it and never allowing you shake its hand. I have been merciful with you but you are trying my patience. Perhaps if you start behaving now, I shall bestow you with a gift."_

"_Anything I want?" the boy asked. His eyes shone with excitement. This was the first step to getting away from this man._

"_Within reason, of course." The sadist said._

"_I want a name." _

"_A name?" Ansem was surprised. Of all things this child could have asked for, he wanted a name?_

"_Yes. I want a name. If you grant me this, I shall never ask anything of you again. Not even my age or where I came from. None of those things matter." The boy said. He was growing tired. He had lost much blood and the pain was crippling._

"_An odd request, but very well. I shall give you a name, but it will have to be one that suits you," he chuckled darkly. _

"_I want to pick it. Let me have something that is truly mine."_

"_Nothing belongs to you..." Ansem began._

"_Shouldn't... shouldn't your heir have a name he chose for himself?" The boy hated himself for even saying that. But his rouse had to start now. If his plan was ever going to work, he had to play the part._

"_Very well. But I must approve of it."  
"I want to be called…"_

Riku awoke with a start. His body covered with sweat, his chest on fire with pain. He sat up straight on his bed, clutching his chest taking gulps of air as he could get them. "Not again," he said through gritted teeth. His heaving breaths became more labored.

"Riku?" a voice called from downstairs. Riku tried to answer, but the blaze in his chest was becoming worse. "Riku?! Answer me!" The voice called again.

"Aer…ith…" Riku choked out. Aerith ran into Riku's room. She gasped at the sight before her. Riku sat on his bed, paler than normal. His long hair, stuck to his face and back from sweat, one hand clutching his chest, the other grasping wildly at the air around him, every breath a battle.

"Riku, your medicine! You didn't take it!" She scrambled around his room and found the small bottle that contained the only thing that could ease his agony. "Here, you have to take it!"

"But… th…there…isn't…" Riku tried to wave the kind woman away, but she sat behind him.

"Shhh…lean against me," she pulled him back onto her chest, "Yeah, that's it. Nice and slow. Now open your mouth," She tipped his head back and emptied the contents of the bottle into his mouth. Soon, his breathing became less labored and his body relaxed. "There you go," she soothed.

Aerith Gainsborough was the owner of The Fountain, a tavern and inn nestled in the center of Traverse Town. Traverse Town was once a sleepy town at what seemed to be the edge of the world. But it's distance from Hollow Bastion made it the perfect place for those seeking asylum. Soon it became the home for people displaced by Ansem's reign of terror. Aerith was one such person. She opened The Fountain, and took in newcomers to the town. The Fountain became the heart of all social activity. And a few townsfolk were permanent residents at the inn. Riku was one of those. She never asked questions. She knew people who arrived to Traverse Town arrived with suffering at their backs. But Riku's suffering seemed darker and deeper than anyone's. He rarely spoke to anyone other than Aerith. And even in that, he rarely spoke to her. His arrival to Traverse Town had been terrifying. It caused most people to leave him alone.

_It had been a normal day in Traverse Town. Refugees arriving, people getting settled in a new life. Aerith had lived in Traverse Town most of her life. Her own family had been killed attempting to escape from Hollow Bastion when she was still a girl. Her and a few friends had made it to Traverse Town, and grew up there, becoming the unofficial guardians of the town. She was beginning to open the tavern for the day, when she heard loud commotion coming from outside. _

_People were screaming and running away from the town's entrance gate. _

"_What's going on?" Aerith asked. _

"_Aerith!" Her friend Yuffie hurried towards her. "Come quick! There's someone at the town gate and he's really bad!" Yuffie grabbed her by the hand, and together they ran towards the gate. There he was, tall and pale. Aerith hand flew to her mouth to stifle her scream. He was on the ground, writhing in pain. Waves of darkness rolling off his body; his screams piercing. _

"_Oh my!" Aerith ran towards him, and tried to pick him up. _

"_NO!" he screamed. "Don't…. touch….me!" His continued convulsing._

"_How do I help you?" Aerith cried back. Her eyes full of tears for this young man's suffering. She edged closer to him._

"_STAY AWAY!" he roared, as another violent spasm racked his body. _

"_Please!" Aerith sobbed. "Please! Let me help you!" The young man's condition seemed dire. His screams of pain thunderous against the normal calm of Traverse Town. The townsfolk urged Aerith to leave him, but she would not. She fell to her knees next to him. "Please!" she begged again. Meanwhile, Yuffie was searching his belongings._

"_Aerith!" Yuffie called. "I found this!" she exclaimed holding a small vial. "Do you think this will do anything?" Aerith took the vial and brought it close to him._

"_What is this?" she asked him shakily. "Will this help you?"_

_He could not hear her over his own screams, and so she decided to trust her instincts. Hurriedly sat down next to the boy and poured the contents of the vial into his mouth and soon, he was beginning to regain control of his body. He laid there, soaked with sweat. Aerith smiled sweetly at him._

"_There you go. Tell me your name."_

"_Ri...Riku…"_

"Why didn't you take your medicine last night?" Aerith admonished him. Riku was still leaning against her, slowly regaining his breath.

"I didn't want to," He moved away from her, and covered his naked torso with his blanket. She stood from the bed, her eyes sad.

"Please Riku, I wish you'd just…"

"No. Please Aerith… just no," He looked away from her. She sighed.

"But…"

"But nothing. It's still no. It will always be no." Riku answered defiantly, turning away from her. He knew he had hurt her. He always did. Aerith was a kind soul. Too kind. She cared for anyone and anything that made its way into Traverse Town. She never judged, and usually didn't pry. But lately, she'd been asking Riku to open up to someone, anyone. He didn't really have any friends in town. He had hoped she'd let up, but she'd only been getting more persistent.

"Fine," she sighed. He could hear the melancholy in her voice. "But someday, someone will break through that guard of yours. Someone will chase those ghosts away… and save you. I just hope for your sake, that someone comes soon," She turned around to leave him. As she left the room, he heard her whisper, "I don't know how much longer you'll be able to survive this."

Riku waited until he heard the sounds of the tavern coming to life for the day before getting out of bed. _That'll keep her busy,_ he thought. His body was sticky with sweat from his episode. He'd have to shower. People already kept their distance. He didn't need them keeping away because he smelled.

Riku let the hot water cascade through his hair and over his body. The deluge fleetingly numbed him, the morning's events forgotten for a few blissful moments. For just a little while, he was just a guy in a shower getting ready for the day. Not the blighted soul wandering lost in a town full of refugees. Not the tormented heart that beat in his chest. Not a person living in fear that a sadistic inhuman Warlord and his army of Heartless could come and destroy everything at any second. No. For just a moment, he was just Riku. He emerged from his steamy haven and all at once, the reality of his life came back. He sat on his bed, head in his hands.

"No one can save me."

**A/N: This was officially chapter one. I will try to get chapter two out as soon as possible (hopefully I'll have some readers by then). Thank you!**


End file.
